As already stated, the Canadian system isn't perfect, but it works. I'm sure a few people have fallen through the cracks.
Cam, I wish you the best results on your tests.
A good 10 yrs ago, my parents moved from Ontario to the Southern States, mainly for the warmer winter weather and to get away from higher Canadian taxes(to quote my father). After a few years down South and then in Washington State, they moved up to BC because health insurance was so expensive down there...I can't remember the exact figure, but I believe it was in the neighbourhood of $1500+ US per month.
This tells us what all of us already know, firstly, yes, Canadians DO pay more taxes than Americans do, so health care isn't really "free". However, as you'll hear from most Canucks, we are happy to pay a reasonable tax into a system that has been setup for all of us, regardless of their financial situation.
I'm wondering if, in the US, it's all about $$, catering to the big insurance corporations or possibly a simple fear of becoming more "socialist"...I don't know.
